Ecological role of <i>Limnephilus abbreviates</i> in detritus dynamics
Abstract
Caddisflies are the dominant detritivores in ponds and wetlands in many high elevation freshwaters. By processing detritus, caddisflies mobilize nutrients and energy that are not used by primary consumers which can play an important role in secondary production and nutrient cycling. Thus, caddisflies are significant for these oligotrophic ecosystems because they are often oligotrophic and therefore limited by nutrients. Previous studies have shown detritus processing by caddisflies stimulates algal growth. Historical data shows that certain species of caddisflies are shifting their range to higher elevations due to increasing temperatures. Past experiments at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory have quantified caddisfly diet, detritus breakdown rates, and influences on algal growth, and other measures for several species of caddisfly in this guild. However, data is missing for several species of caddisflies, including those recently expanding their range upslope. I used a microcosms experiment with Limnephilus abbreviatus, Limnephilus externus, and Anabolia bimaculata caddisflies to measure their contribution to detritus breakdown and algal dynamics. Compared to L. externus, I predicted that L. abbreviatus would have a lower detrital breakdown rate and Anabolia bimaculata would have a higher detrital breakdown rate; and patterns in chlorophyll-a concentration would match these detritus trends. Our results support both predictions for L. abbreviatus however while we found that and that A. bimaculata had a slightly lower detrital breakdown rate than L. externus, their contribution to chlorophyll-a growth was greater. Moving forward, we will be able to use this data to create models that simulate real world conditions to anticipate how caddisflies range shifts affect ecosystem functions.
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References (26)
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